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Orphans Book One: Claws of Betrayal
This fanfic is about my OC, Ezra |-|Prologue= The moon was a crystal eye in an indigo sea. Fox dove down from the thick bank of clouds, flapping her wings madly to get down to earth. The pebbly, moon-dusted ground yawned before her and she flared her massive red wings and landed in the dusty earth. Clipping her wings to her sides, Fox raced across the rock-strewn soil, darting through scraggly boxwood bushes and narrowing her eyes. Her talons clicked against the ground, throwing up clods of small pebbles and dust. The egg. That was the only thing she could think about. Please let the egg be safe. She burst through a tangled wall of shrubbery and gasped, pausing. The red and black hybrid egg sat there in a slab of moonlight, docile and innocent. It was safe. Fox breathed out an immense sigh of relief. She padded forward towards her beloved egg, and then stopped. Her fiery-orange eyes widened. Was that a crack, sneaking its way up the glistening shell? Panic shot through every nerve in Fox’s body. She gasped and jumped forward, peering at her egg. Yes, it was ''a crack; a collection of cobweb-thin black lines was forming near the top of the egg. ''Three moons, it’s hatching! Fox’s heartbeat sped up, palpitating wildly in her chest. What do I do? Do I help it out? Do I leave it alone? WHAT DO I DO? She fluttered her wings. Think, Fox, think! Swallowing back a fountain of anxiety, Fox reached out and gently touched the shell of the egg. It shattered in a waterfall of red-and-black shards. Fox yelped and leaped back. “Oh no,” she gasped. Had she broken it, shattered the fragile existence of the dragonet the egg held? There was a movement, and a tiny red-and-black head crested in orange poked out of the egg. Two indigo eyes, as rich as the sky, peered up at Fox. Something like a smile formed on the face of the tiny creature. “Oh,” Fox breathed, and her heart seemed to stop. An overwhelming feeling of love and joy and wonder filled her. The dragonet squeaked, and tried to crawl its way out of the egg. It strained, freeing one red wing before it tumbled over and hit the grass with a tiny yelp. The rest of the egg broke and scattered across the rugged earth, leaving the baby dragon laying there in a ball of red, black and orange scales. Fox reached out with trembling talons and her claws brushed against the smooth scales of the dragonet. Her ''dragonet. Her talons closed around the tiny body and she lifted him up into the air, clasping him in the palm of her hand. “Hello, little one,” she whispered. The little dragon cocked his head at her. “Gawk?” he asked, fluttering his wings. Fox laughed and pulled the baby close to her chest. The dragonet snuggled against her cool scales, relishing in the gentle rhythm of her heartbeat. His eyelids drooped over his gentle blue eyes. “Welcome to the world,” Fox whispered. The excitement of the hatch had gone, replaced with calm and peace. The serene wind tickled the trees above Fox’s head, and she sighed. “Ezra,” she whispered. “My sweet little dragonet.” Ezra rustled, folding his wings around his tiny body. Fox looked down at him, and something churned in her. ''He truly is a hybrid. Fox had hoped that none of his father’s NightWing side would show in the dragonet. She had hoped he would look full SkyWing… But Ezra’s scales were unmistakably polished black. His tiny head had the shape of a NightWing’s, and his body had the curve of his father. The scales cresting above his eyes were orange, but his underbelly and wings were a stunning red. Who cares if he’s a hybrid? He’s my dragonet. No one can judge him for who he is. “But it’s my fault he’s like that,” Fox told herself, looking up into the moon. “I’m the one who wanted to marry a NightWing.” Cyclone had seemed like a perfect choice. He was strong, handsome and courageous. But after they were illegally married and living on their own, Fox saw who he really was… a dirty, filthy liar. Fox had been his third wife. Cyclone had only wanted Fox for money. After finding out his real intentions, Fox ran. It was clear that Cyclone had only wanted to marry Fox for what he would get… a hybrid child. Selling a hybrid could make good money. Fox tried to forget the choice she had made, but it was too late… she was already with egg. Fox stared down into Ezra’s eyes. “Your father is going to come after me,” Fox whispers. “Once he finds out I had a dragonet, he’ll try and take you.” Ezra made a low keening noise, pressing one black talon against his mother’s chest. “I won’t let him,” Fox hissed, baring her fangs. “I’ll rip out that dirty snake’s throat and feed him to the wolves.” Ezra fluttered his wings anxiously. Fox smiled softly down at him. “You’re safe with me,” she breathed. “And no one is going to get you.” She paused and folded her wings around her son. “No matter what happens, mommy will always be here for you…” |-|Chapter One= Six months later… Fire. The fire was everywhere; ripping through the trees, scorching the pebbled earth and creeping dangerously close to the small cottage at the edge of the forest. “MOM!” Ezra screamed. He started running at full tilt, his wings flared wide in alarm and his red-and-black scales gleaming orange in the rising fire. It had been a perfectly normal day… Ezra had been sent out to gather berries for their dinner. His mother, Fox, had been making rabbit stew (again) when suddenly Ezra had smelled it; smoke. Seeing the flames had sent alarm jolting through every nerve in his body. Now he was running towards his house at the edge of the trees. He hoped with all of his heart that Fox would be all right... Ezra yelped as the heat-scorched earth burned his talons. Flapping his wings he lifted a little ways off the ground and flapped towards his hut. He burst through the door and scanned the inside. "MOM!" he yelled again, his heart palpitating madly against his ribs. There was no answer. Fox was not there. Panting from fear and fatigue, Ezra backed out the door. The heat of the fire was rolling over him. Ezra wheezed as smoke entered his nostrils and clogged his lungs. He flapped his red wings, feeling panicked. He suddenly realized he should have listened to Fox's flying lessons more. Now he was stuck on the ground with fire all around him. Where is mom? ''Ezra started to run back away from the fire, calling his mother's name. A whimper started to rise in his throat but he swallowed it down. ''I'm a big dragonet now. I won't cry. Suddenly an ear-splitting roar broke the air above Ezra. He paused, his muscles stiffening, and whipped around. A black streak zipped through the air above him. Star-speckled wings whipped the fire across the earth. As Ezra watch, transfixed with fear and curiosity, the dragon opened his massive jaws and roared fire across the earth... straight towards Ezra's house. "NO!" Ezra yelped. Before he could move the hut went up in flames. Ezra was thrown backwards across the rocky earth. Tears of pain welled in his eyes as his wing ripped on a sharp boulder. He bit back a cry of pain and struggled to his talons. His instincts told him to run, and he did. Ezra scrambled across the pebbles and made for the trees. He tucked his wings in close and, panting, dove among the scraggly brambles. He peered through the scorched leaves with wide, terrified eyes as the black dragon hovered above Ezra's burning house. The dragon's dark eyes scanned the clearing and then, with a snort, it flapped its massive wings and vanished over the treetops. Ezra let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. His eyes stung from the rolling smoke, and the flames flickered closer. He couldn't stay here. Wheezing, Ezra started off through the trees, scrambling over fallen logs and uprooted undergrowth. His wings flapped noisily, rustling the leaves and nearby bushes. He had to find Fox. He had to know she was all right. All he wanted to do was bury his head in her wings and hold her talons in his. He wanted to feel her big, red wings around his trembling body. "Mom!" he cried again, weaker this time. The smoke was making him feel woozy and disoriented... A noise from up ahead made Ezra stop. "Ezra!" it called weakly. Ezra's ears perked up. He knew that voice. "Mom!" he cried. He lunged across the forest floor towards the sound of the voice. Red scales flashed in front of his vision, and he lunged into his mother's arms. Fox grunted in pain, and Ezra started as he felt something warm and sticky splash against his chest. A metallic scent flooded his nostrils. Blood. Ezra backed away, his eyes wide. Fox's right wing was torn, and blood was spurting from one of her wing fingers. Another gash was ripped across her underbelly and side, and it was gushing even more blood than his wing. His mother's face was twisted with pain and exhaustion. "What happened?" Ezra whispered. "Mom, why are you bleeding? Why is everything on fire? Who was that dragon?" "Ezra, you need to run," Fox whispered. "What about you?" Ezra's eyes widened. "Are you coming? Where do we go? Are you going to be all right?" "Ezra, go," Fox wheezed. "I'm hurt. I can't come. I can't come with you this time." "No," Ezra said softly. Tears flooded from his eyes. "I can't go without you. I want to stay with you. Just tell me everything's going to be all right." Hysteria and panic made his spines tremble. He was on the verge of sobbing. "Please, mom. Who was that dragon?" "That was your father," Fox whispered weakly. "He's coming for you, Ezra." My father. ''A chill ran down Ezra's spine. Fox had told him about his father. He was dangerous, crazy and mean. He was a bad dragon. "Why is he coming for me?" Ezra cried. "Ezra, don't ask questions," Fox wheezed. "Just run, find a place to hide and wait until your father leaves. All right?" She reached up and gripped her son's face in her talons. "I'm scared," Ezra whimpered, his tiny wings flickering. "I know." Fox wrapped her wings and arms around him in one last hug. "But you're my brave little son. You've always been brave." Ezra swallowed back a sob that rose into his throat. His eyes were stained with tears as he looked up at his mother. "But I'll come back for you, mom. I promise." Fox smiled faintly. "I love you, Ezra." A roar split the air, making the leaves tremble. "I KNOW YOU'RE THERE, FOX! COME OUT!" "Run." Fox shoved Ezra away from her towards a dense grouping of trees. "Don't stop running! Go!" Ezra scrambled to his talons and, with tears streaming down his face, took off running into the trees. He felt the whoosh of wings above him, and he flattened his ears. Leaves swirled up around his talons as he flapped his wings to gain a bit of altitude. ''Stupid me... why didn't I listen to mom's training lessons? '' "FOX COME OUT, YOU SNIVELING DRAGON!" his father roared again. "Bring that worm of a son with you!" Ezra crouched, trembling, amidst the rattling branches. He tried to still his breath so his father wouldn't hear him. There was a deep thump somewhere in the forest, and the sound of whooshing wings settling. Ezra's heart thumped. His father had landed. The earth shook where the massive black dragon stepped. Ezra tried to remember the names of the dragon tribes. ''NightWing. He's a NightWing. A stray branch tickled Ezra's snout. Wrinkling his muzzle, Ezra bit back a sneeze. The wind picked up again, brushing the leaves against his nostrils once more. Oh no... ''Ezra thought, but it was too late to hold back the sneeze. He tried to stifle it as best as he could, but the ''a-choo! ''that ripped from his throat was still terribly loud. Ezra heard the talons stop and turn. Fear zipped through him. ''I should run... ''his mind said. He tried to turn and scramble away, but a rumbling growl made him pause. "I know you're here, little dragonet," the voice whispered, rattling Ezra's eardrums. Ezra trembled like an aspen leaf caught in the wind. Flattening his ears, he slunk out of the bushes as quietly as he could. He avoided a pile of crisp, dead leaves and tip-taloned his way over a fallen twig. Breathing hard, he started towards a denser grouping of trees ahead of him... "A-HA!" the black dragon burst out in front of Ezra on his hind legs, a snarl etched into his scarred face. "Thought you could get away from me, hmmm?" Ezra screamed and tried to turn the other way, but he felt rough talons smash into his back. Ezra went down, curling in a ball and whimpering like a lost puppy. "P-please," he whispered. "D-don't h-hurt me please." He squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe if he opened them it would all be a dream... "Ah." His father slowly ran a talon down Ezra's scales. Ezra shivered, making his spines stand up. "You truly are a hybrid. You'll fetch a high price, little dragonet." The NightWing chuckled. ''Price? Hybrid? ''Dismay and fear collided in Ezra. He wanted to get up and run back to Fox, but he didn't want his father's talons piercing like knives into his chest. "Let's go to my place," his father whispered. "You'll like it there." Menace dripped from his words like sour honey. "CYCLONE!" Fox's voice broke through his father's words. "LET. HIM. GO." Cyclone looked up, his spines bristling. "Ah, Fox. Still as bold as ever." Ezra looked up. His mother was standing there, blood pooling from her side and wing. Her muzzle was curled, revealing her fangs, and she was crouched low like a cat about to pounce. "Give my son back." Cyclone snorted. "He's my son, too. I have the rights to him." "You just want him for money," hissed Fox. "Hand him over ''now." "Or what?" Cyclone oozed. "You'll kill me?" He laughed. It was a horrible sound, like claws grating over granite. "If I have to, yes." Fox raised her sleek head. It glittered in the light of the setting sun, and Ezra felt hope churn in him. Maybe Fox would win and everything would be all right... Cyclone puffed out smoke. "You're in no condition to fight," he snarled. "Just let me take him and you can go back to your peaceful life. Just find another partner and have more eggs. Who cares about this worm?" Cyclone nudged Ezra, and Ezra cried out in pain as the movement jolted his injured wing. "No." Fox growled. "You ''can find another partner, Cyclone. Ezra is '''mine.'" Then she tipped her head and narrowed her orange eyes. "How did you find out about him, anyways?" "I have eyes and ears all around," Cyclone said. There was a growl buried in his words, and Ezra shuddered. "Now move aside and we can go about this without bloodshed." "I won't let you do that." Fox opened her jaws. Ezra saw fire foam behind her stark-white fangs, and then the heat came barreling at Cyclone like an inferno tornado. "GAH!" Cyclone roared as heat seared along his scales. He let go of Ezra for a moment. Seizing his opportunity, Ezra scrambled to his talons and ran. Roars split the air behind him, but he didn't turn back around. Talons thumped the earth at Ezra's tail, and he heard fangs snap next to his ears. Ezra yelped and skidded around a tree, diving into a dense mess of tangled undergrowth. He struggled among the overgrown vines and twigs, clawing away the snarled vegetation with his talons. He heard Cyclone curse in frustration behind him. Whoosh! ''A red blur shot over the undergrowth, ruffling the leaves of the trees. Flapping madly with her one good wing, Fox glided straight into Cyclone's chest. Ezra, panting from fear and fatigue, kept going. His claws were constantly getting tangled in the vines, but he pulled free and crawled forward. He heard fangs snap on scales behind him, and there was a loud ''crack ''as Fox smashed her tail into Cyclone's snout. Fire blasted the air above Ezra, and he yelped as heat whispered at his spines. The sparks from the fire caught against the dead leaves behind him, and the whole forest of undergrowth went up in flames. Ezra yelled and flapped his wings, trying to keep the fire away from him. He backed away and felt his tail entangle with a snake-like vine behind him. Hissing in frustration, Ezra fought his way out of the smoldering undergrowth and flapped skyward. His injured wing cramped and Ezra fell, rolling into a nearby ditch. For a moment Ezra felt hopeless. ''There's nowhere to run! What do I do? Cyclone and Fox were still battling behind him. Their roars blasted the hot air. Ezra heard the crackle of flames behind him. There was fire everywhere, and he was trapped. Flattening himself to the ground, Ezra wished he could disappear. Fear rippled at his brain, pooling into his heart. Was this what his life would look like? What if Fox lost? What if Cyclone took Ezra far away, and he never saw his mother again? Ezra turned back to see Fox and Cyclone fighting. Fear flashed in Ezra's blue eyes as he saw his mother. Fox was weakening. Her face was streaked with blood and scorch marks. Her wings were drooping, and there were deep gashes in her scales. Cyclone snarled down at her, his claws gleaming with blood. "Not so mighty now, are you?" He lunged forward and grabbed Fox by her neck, pinning her to the ground. "STOP!" Ezra screamed. He burst from the undergrowth and lunged towards his father. "Take me, but let her live." "No, Ezra," whispered Fox. "Please don't kill her," Ezra whimpered. "She hasn't done anything a-and she's a good dragon. Please stop fighting and take me." Cyclone snarled and let go of Fox, glaring down at Ezra. Gasping, Fox rose to her talons and stared blankly at Ezra. She was holding her throat. Exhaustion shone in her brown eyes. Trembling, Ezra stood up to his father. "Take me," he said again, swallowing back fear. He spread his red wings wide, casting a shadow across the scorched earth. "But let her live." "All right," rumbled Cyclone. Triumph shone in his eyes. He turned back to Fox, his muzzle curling. "Any objections, darling?" He said the word ''darling ''with mock and sarcasm dripping from his voice. Fox rose to her talons. "Yes," she spat. "I think you're a dirty, no-good ratbrain, and you should die the most horrible death in all of Pyrrhia." Her eyes glinted with fury, and she snarled. "I'll come back for my son one day. You'll see." Cyclone laughed a smoke-curling laugh. "I'd like to see that," he snorted. "Yes, be my guest. Come back one day and get him. I'll be sitting in my gold-infested palace, surrounded by a millennia of guards. I'll be a king. And where will your ''precious ''son be? Gone, in the talons of some hybrid-obsessed idiot." "Monster," wheezed Fox. "You're a big, ugly monster." Cyclone ignored her and reached out with bloodstained talons. He placed one claw under Ezra's chin and tipped his face up. "Oh yes," sneered Cyclone. "You'll do." Ezra whipped his head around like a snake and crunched his fangs down on his father's finger. Cyclone hissed in pain and jerked away, blood pooling from around his claws. For a moment Ezra held his breath. Had that been a mistake? Then Cyclone chuckled slowly, coldly. "He's a fighter," he muttered, mostly to himself. "That's good." Ezra backed away. "Let me say goodbye to my mother." Cyclone grunted. "You have one minute." Ezra seized his chance and raced towards Fox. He fell into her bloody wings, a sob curdling in his throat. "Mom," he choked out. "I'm scared." "I know. I know." Fox reached out and tenderly put her arms around her son. "I am too." "I don't want to go with him," Ezra whispered. "But I don't want you to die." "You're brave." Fox tipped Ezra's head up. Brown eyes met dazzling blue. "You've always been brave." The tears Ezra had been trying to hold back came. He furiously wiped them away with the back of his hand, but that didn't stop them. "I'll come back for you," he whispered through a sob. "I'll escape." Fox smiled through her tears. "I believe in you." "Times up!" Cyclone barked. He stalked forward and ripped Ezra out of Fox's arms. Ezra whimpered and shut his eyes. "Be brave." Fox's voice tickled his ears. "You'll always be brave." Ezra wondered if he would ever hear that sweet voice again. |-|Chapter Two= =Ezra flew in his father's merciless talons all the way across the Claws of the Clouds Mountains and into the very edge of the Sand Kingdom. It was there that Cyclone had brought Ezra, weary and tired, into the small oasis that lay underneath the paling sun. Cyclone ordered him to drink, and Ezra did so gratefully. They had been flying for hours, and Ezra's mouth was parched and swollen from crying. Ezra drank for minutes, gulping down the refreshing liquid until his sides burned. "That's enough." Cyclone smacked him with his tail, making Ezra splutter and choke. Ezra turned to his father with water dripping from his chin. "Come on." Cyclone hissed. "I want to get home before it reaches midnight." "All right," Ezra muttered. "Speak up." Cyclone glared at his son. "I said FINE!" Ezra snapped, lashing his tail through the water. ''Smack! '' Cyclone's tail thwacked Ezra right in the jaw. Ezra went spinning backwards with pain spiraling in his face, wings flared to regain his balance. "Don't talk to me in that manner!" Cyclone roared, his eyes sparking. "I won't be talked to like I'm some idiot dragonet." "Sorry, I'm sorry," Ezra stammered. Panic seethed in him, and pain ached in his jaw. He swallowed, crouching in the wet sand. Cyclone ascended into the misty clouds that were rolling lazily across the desert. They were nearing the border to the SandWing kingdom. Here the hot and cold air collided, causing storms to form frequently across the rolling dunes. Ezra could smell rain in the air, and he tensed, hoping it wouldn't storm. Would Cyclone abandon Ezra if lightning came? Ezra squinted his eyes up as the lashing wind ripped at his face. He wished that they could reach their destination, wherever it was. What would it look like? Where would Ezra stay? His heart ached. He missed Fox so much. Finally, Cyclone angled his wings above a dense grouping of trees below. The air here was sticky, and the three moons had risen just above the horizon. The sky was a light gray, scattered with a few diamond-white stars. Ezra's whole body ached from being carried so harshly over such a long distance. Cyclone glided into the trees and dropped Ezra unceremoniously onto the pebbled earth. Cyclone landed with a thump, folding his batlike wings to his sides. With a low moan, Ezra rose up and shook his head. His ears were ringing, and his head throbbed violently. "Where are we?" he breathed, standing on shaking talons. "We are at my house," spat Cyclone. "So you had better stop shaking and move your tail." He nudged Ezra with one giant claw, and Ezra stumbled forward. "Are you sure we can't go back for Fox?" Ezra squeaked. "She'll be missing me." Cyclone did not answer. He just shoved Ezra again, and the little dragonet fell on his face. "Please stop," he whined, a little irritated. His anger was getting the better of him. He just wanted to go back home to Fox. "Don't speak that way to me," Cyclone hissed. "Now get in the house." Ezra looked up, and his gritty blue eyes widened. There was a large, broken-down shack towering above him. The bricks that it was made of had tumbled to the ground around the old house, leaving gaping holes in the walls. Ezra swallowed and crept through the open doorway. The smell of rotten meat made him cringe. A pile of bones lay in the corner, stark white under the moonlight. Ezra wrinkled his snout and paused in the center of the room. Off to one side there was a hallway, leading to a dark, shadowy room. "This way." Cyclone nudged Ezra forward, and his injured wing sang with pain. Ezra clenched his fangs and started off down the hallway. There were silvery strands of long-abandoned spiderwebs clinging to the ceiling. Ezra jumped as something small and furry skittered across his talons, but he didn't make a sound. "This is where you'll be staying until morning," Cyclone growled, stopping at the dark room filled with shadows. Ezra swallowed. "In there?" he whimpered. "But.. it's so... dark."Category:FanfictionsCategory:Fanfictions (Incomplete)Category:Fanfictions (Fanon) Category:Content (DreamingWolf1)